Yours Accidentally

by Nevatia, Madhur

  If it wasn’t for her lingering fragrance, it could have been just a dream.

  ≈

  SEVEN

  It was evening and Sameera was late for her pilates class with Tanya. The sessions were held in an ultra-modern studio with air conditioning, concealed lighting, wooden flooring and gleaming mirrors all along the walls. Since the session had already started, Sameera slid in discreetly, passed several lycra-clad girls holding big exercise balls between their ankles, located Tanya, and flopped onto the mat next to her. Tanya was engrossed in her regimen, doing leg raises with the ball. Sameera was distracted; her mind replayed the events of the day and she was impatient for the class to be over.

  “You won’t believe what happened today,” she whispered to Tanya who continued with her leg raises.

  “Shhhh. Just wait for the class to be over,” Tanya whispered fiercely.

  Sameera barely went through the motions and sprang into action only when the session came to an end. Tanya walked over to her. “What happened? Why are you late again?” They rolled their mats and put the balls back in place. “On second thoughts, you don’t even need this exercise. You are already strong, tall and lean; this is meant for weak, short and plump creatures like me.”

  Sameera pulled her friend’s rosy cheeks. “Arre paagal, you are perfect. Kamaal lagti ho. Let’s grab coffee at Barista first, and then I’ll tell you what happened.”

  They found a corner table in Barista and settled down comfortably.

  “Guess who came into my clinic today?”

  “Some star?”

  “Not from Bollywood.”

  “Hollywood?”

  “No silly, no star. Guess again.”

  “No guesses, spill yaar.”

  “Gautam. Remember Gautam? Sanjay’s friend? He met up with an accident; the poor guy was knocked up quite badly.”

  “Oh my God. Of course I remember Gautam,” exclaimed Tanya.

  “Usually, I never discuss my patients but Sanjay may like to know about this. They seemed really thick.”

  “He’s Sanjay’s best friend but I don’t think he knows anything about this. Spoke to him a couple of hours ago; he would have mentioned it had he known. What happened?”

  “Fracture in his right hand, horrible ligament injuries in his knee and ankle, plus lots of other minor aches and pains. Can’t walk right now and has to keep his hand completely still. So in a nutshell, he is completely out of action for the time being.”

  “How did he land in your clinic? Did he look out for you?”

  Sameera felt her stomach churn. Would she have liked him to look out for her? Did she want his approval? She was successful and did not need anyone’s ratification. She was unwilling to admit that this strange man was affecting her.

  She protested—more loudly than she usually would—as if to prove something to herself more than to Tanya. “You’ve got to be kidding. ‘Look me up’ my foot. At the drop of a hat he looks down on me. Prejudiced, chauvinist, irate, the man’s just too much.”

  She put down her glass with such gusto that water spilled over. “Pata nahi apne aap ko kya samajhta hai. He behaves quite delusionary at times. Thinks he’s God’s gift to mankind. Today when he first saw me, he reacted as if he had seen a ghost. Perhaps he would have preferred a ghost to me.”

  “What exactly happened between the two of you in Delhi? I remember Sanjay saying something about you irking Gautam. How did both of you have so many issues when you barely met?”

  “How do I know? We barely spoke to each other. It was as if he already had some preconceived notion about me and wanted to bite my head off. He seems to have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. Wish I could get Dr. Sharma to prescribe some psycho-therapy along with physiotherapy.”

  “That’s mean, Sameera.”

  Usually Sameera was careful with her words but with Tanya around, she could throw caution and diplomacy to the winds.

  “His friends swear by him and they all say how calm, suave and charming he is, like Aamir Khan in the first part of Ghajni but all I get to see is the Aamir Khan in the second half. Now do you get it?”

  “A little,” sighed Tanya. “But I am so disappointed. The moment I saw Gautam, I thought of you. I had this vision, must tell you about it. You are wearing a flowing peach color dress, standing at the beach, walking all alone when the wind starts to blow and a speck of sand gets into your eyes. Suddenly this Adonis appears and he gently blows into your eyes. You look into his dark, brown, molten-chocolate eyes smoldering with passion and you melt. He picks you up and walks away into the sunset.”

  “Bakwas. What kind of a friend are you, blowing sand in my eyes and letting a stranger carry me away? The peach dress is the only good thing in this whole vision.”

  “Oh come on Sam, don’t tell me he is not hot.”

  “Yes he is, hot-tempered.” Sameera retorted. “Honestly, he’s anything but spectacular. Really average I must confess. Predictable hair, normal clothes.”

  Tanya held her friend’s hand, “You must learn to give guys a chance, Sam. Not all of them are jerks.”

  Sameera ignored Tanya’s advice. “On a serious note, I’m faced with a huge moral dilemma as a physiotherapist. My senior colleague is away on leave for the week, two other colleagues are fully booked and Gautam really needs attention immediately. It will be unethical to leave him unattended right now. Also, how juvenile will I appear if I tell Dr. Yogesh Sharma that I can’t accept Gautam as a patient because he was rude to me? What a mess.”

  “If he’s Sanjay’s best buddy, he can’t be too bad. Just sleep over it and decide what needs to done in the morning. I should go and meet him. Do you have his address?” asked Tanya.

  Sameera rolled her eyes. “Yes, I memorize the address of all my patients.”

  “Fine. I’ll take it from Sanjay. Wish he wasn’t travelling to Singapore for work. I’m sure he would have come down to Mumbai to meet him.”

  ≈

  EIGHT

  Travelling on Mumbai’s monsoon-damaged roads took its toll on Gautam; each pothole brought excruciating pain. By the time he reached home he was exhausted. Every muscle, bone, ligament in his body seemed to hurt. Even the mere act of breathing was a challenge. He hobbled into his room, wet with perspiration, and fell into a fitful sleep.

  The heat from the diathermy radiated across Gautam’s knee, relaxing much more than his assaulted ligaments. Sameera’s face was a picture of concentration, an exquisite picture. Her gaze was lowered while working on his limbs. She wore no makeup except for a thin line of kajal. Her face glowed. The rhythmic movements of her slender hands, the gentle heaving of her chest as she breathed and her fragrance cast a spell on Gautam and he felt the tension and pain leave his body. He looked up to see her lips, glistening with a hint of lip-gloss, parted ever so slightly. He felt an irresistible urge to touch her, feel her skin. Throwing all caution to the winds, he slowly ran his fingers along her arm; gently tracing the outlines of her sharp chin, caressing her soft smooth cheeks, his fingers stopped on her lips. His body seemed to be on fire. He was sure the whole clinic could hear his heartbeats.

  He opened his eyes and felt disoriented. He was alone in his room, but his heart was beating wildly. Could it be possible that it was all just a dream? He was embarrassed and angry. She was playing games with his mind, making him weak. The thought that he was captivated by her, even in his dreams, was repulsive. Why was he thinking about her? Though she seemed to be a good physiotherapist, he quite disliked her; she brought out the worst in him, made him irritable and caustic, shattering the calm and peace he treasured—disrupting his thoughts, offending his senses. He had fainted in her presence and made a fool of himself in her eyes and now by being attracted to her, he had made a fool of himself in his own eyes; this was even less pardonable.

  He cursed out aloud. A week ago, he was a strapping young man working hard to achieve his ambitions. A freak accident was bad enough, but fate with its weird sense of humor had anot
her googly waiting. In the entire city of Mumbai, teeming with people, nurturing an army of doctors and technicians, he had to land up at her clinic. He popped another pill and shut his eyes.

  The day passed listlessly for Gautam, not that there was much he could do in his current state. His boss had been genuinely concerned for him and Gautam was pleasantly surprised to discover the more humane side of one of the most ruthless men he knew. There were strict instructions to the whole team against calling Gautam, so the team was surprised when they received a call from the suffering man himself.

  “Why are you calling? We would rather drift rudderless for a few days than be orphaned forever.”

  “Stop being theatrical Jai, and listen,” laughed Gautam. “Note down whatever I say and ask the team to get cracking.” His body was beaten but his mind was razor sharp, his photographic memory had an immense capacity to remember figures, numbers, and complex calculations without even having to refer to the spreadsheets in his laptop.

  ***

  Next morning, he got up feeling weary and fatigued. The pain was unbearable. Who would be his new physiotherapist? How would he travel to the clinic?

  He sniffed. The fragrance was unmistakable, but in his room? He sniffed again.

  It must be her. But how could she be in his room? He slowly opened his eyes. Standing before him, once again completely unannounced, was Dr. Sameera Mathur.

  ≈

  NINE

  “Please don’t faint this time. It’s quite bad for my self-esteem,” said Sameera, standing at the door awkwardly, not knowing what to do next.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Her brow creased. “Oh, your signature greeting once again. No ‘hello, how are you’ stuff. This will take some getting used to.” Sameera sounded more confident than she felt. Her heart echoed Gautam’s question; what the hell was she doing there anyway? Yesterday she had resolved to steer clear of him, and today not only was she seeing him again but also standing in his house. Too late to retract, she tried her best to look professional and make light of the awkward situation. “I’m here to try Gopal’s tea, which he claims is amongst the best in the world. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

  Gautam looked thoroughly perplexed.

  “Gopal was in a state of panic when he called my clinic and insisted on speaking to me. He told me that your pain had increased greatly. I gather that the car ride was not the best thing for your limbs. Car rides are ruled out, but therapy must continue. So while I wait for my tea, let me take a look at you and see what can be done.”

  The clouds lifted partially over Gautam’s brain, but he was still not ready for this, not after his dream. “I still don’t understand why you should come home to help me. Neither do I deserve, nor desire, such generosity.”

  Sameera was thoroughly professional in her attitude. “Don’t think so much. Just relax.” She pulled a chair close to his bed and set up her portable equipment. As she unraveled the extension cord, he observed her smooth fingers and perfectly done nails. She did not wear a ring on her left hand; for some strange reason, he felt relieved. As her fingers touched his knees, a ripple passed over his entire body. The effect was electrifying.

  “Like yesterday I will apply the gel on your knees and ankle and then start the diathermy. Don’t hesitate to tell me if you feel any discomfort.”

  He looked up at her face. Her skin glowed as usual; she wore no makeup except for a mild line of kajal and pink lip gloss. She was dressed simply but elegantly in black cigarette pants and a crisp white shirt that highlighted every contour of her body. The more he looked at her, the more he felt intoxicated. Myriad thoughts raced through his mind. Why has she come? Why was the universe hell-bent on making their paths meet? Was there a deeper meaning to it all? He was confused and torn between numerous conflicting feelings—indignation, anticipation, shock, longing.

  “You look flushed. Are you alright?” Sameera asked with concern. “Is the temperature too high?”

  Gautam could hardly tell her the real reason for his discomfort and just shook his head, not trusting his voice at the moment.

  Though she looked the picture of concentration, Sameera’s mind was in turmoil. I can’t allow anyone to shatter my peace, not now. She continued her rhythmic movements, which eventually succeeded in relaxing his muscles and finally his mind. By the time she was done, he was calm and at peace while she was internally agitated. His physical discomfort had reduced considerably and for the first time in the day, he managed a smile.

  “You smile. I was beginning to worry about facial muscle injury.” Sameera smiled. “So, may I stay for tea?”

  Startled at her lapse in self-control, she wanted to apologize and run away but his smile grew wider.

  “Sorry. Stay, please. And sorry for my appalling behavior. I was completely surprised to see you here but could I request a small concession based on that?”

  “I quite like this new tone.” Inside her, the question reverberated—would I regret this decision later?

  “Chai taiyaar hai.” Gopal entered the room carrying a tray laden with yummy looking pakoras and two cups of steaming hot tea.

  Sameera picked up a pakora from the plate. “In Mumbai you call them kanda batata bhajjiya. Thanks Gopal, they are yummy.”

  Gopal looked earnestly into her eyes. “Thank you for coming over. I couldn’t bear to see him in such pain. See? It’s not even an hour since you came but he is already looking better. God bless you.”

  Whatever irritation Gautam had felt over Gopal’s decision to get in touch with Sameera without consulting him melted when he saw the anxiety and concern in his old companion’s eyes. His loyalty was unquestionable.

  As Sameera reached for the pakoras once again, her finger touched his; she dropped the savory as if burned by it. Before Gautam could say anything, she tactfully withdrew her hand and exclaimed, “These pakoras are to die for. I must do something to stay in his good books.”

  “Gopal already thinks you are God-sent and that you alone can cure me. Actually he doesn’t know that you’re not even a proper doctor.”

  “There we go again. Just to set the record straight, we are legally allowed to use the prefix doctor; this is a medical profession. Now stop fidgeting and don’t move your right arm.”

  Gautam gave Sameera a mock salute with his left arm, “Yes, doctor.”

  With practiced ease, Sameera readjusted his sling and propped a cushion under his knee. Her proximity made him feel tense while she seemed completely at ease. He sat silently, his heart in his mouth; her mind raced to find impersonal and harmless topics to talk about as they sat finishing their tea.

  “In case you are interested in football, El Clasico is on tonight, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.”

  Gautam raised his eyebrows, “Do you like to watch football?”

  “Oh yes. I try to catch the big matches of both EPL as well as La Liga. Would ideally love to watch Champions League as well, but the matches start too late.”

  “Does your boyfriend love football?”

  Her smile faded and her body became more rigid. “That’s a leading question. Are you asking me if I have a boyfriend?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You’ll have to do better than ‘maybe’ if you want an answer.”

  “Okay. Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “Is it of consequence to you?”

  “I was wondering how a girl like you could love a masculine sport like football.”

  “Last time you were quite off the mark. What’s your analysis now? What kind of a girl do you think I am?”

  Gautam thought for a minute. His first reaction was to be defensive and clamp up. But on second thoughts, he had been wrong and decided to be fair. “Sorry about my opinionated donkey avatar, but, let me say this in my defense. If we did a random sampling and asked a hundred people to guess your profession, not one guess would be accurate.”

  “Why? Do physiotherapists have horns on their heads?”

>   “You’re too...” Gautam stopped in mid-sentence.

  “Too what…?”

  “You’re too girly.”

  “Is that the best you can manage? ‘Girly’? It’s not even a proper word. Anyway, I need to go. I must thank Gopal for the treat. Take care.” Sameera turned to leave, glad to get away before she got carried away by her confusing responses.

  “Sameera?”

  She turned around, her eyebrows arched in question.

  “I would like you to continue with my therapy if that’s okay with you.”

  “That’s nice of you. Thanks.” She needed more time to think. “Let me look into my calendar and confirm tomorrow.”

  ≈

  TEN

  For Gautam, Sameera’s presence lingered in the room even after she left. Her fragrance, voice and words hung around him. He had always liked being alone, but suddenly he felt lonely.

  He knew that she was only doing her duty as a doctor—it was definitely not her job to entertain him—but whatever she did seemed to irritate him, one way or the other.

  He was irritated that she had arrived unannounced; after she left, he was angry because she did not stay; when she spoke, her incomplete responses upset him and when she didn’t speak, her silence peeved him. What was she doing to him? Why couldn’t he behave normally? She liked watching football; this was the only new information he had about her. Not only had she avoided answering his questions but had also put him in a spot once again. Why did he let her manipulate him? Why had he not raised the subject of her arrogant behavior in Delhi?

  ***

  Next morning, Gautam woke up thinking about Sameera. Would she come? Not that he cared, but then, neither did she. She was merely doing her job and getting paid handsomely for it.

  It was eight a.m. Even if she came in at six p.m., he needed to kill ten hours in between. He recalled their conversation from the previous evening. She had been articulate while he had faltered. How could he level the playing field?